


Tough Reminders

by monogramsalarm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, hey kids y'all like angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-09 23:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13491645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: Lucretia knew going to have coffee with her long-forgotten friend was a mistake, but somewhere deep down, she knew she needed to.





	Tough Reminders

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece to my friend's work "The Corner Booth," which I highly recommend you go read before coming here because mine picks up near the end of theirs!

Magnus looked to Carey, raising an eyebrow at her challenge.

“You think I can’t shotgun this whole can of whipped cream?” He grabbed the canister than he’d been slowly but constantly adding to his mug until it was more whipped cream than coffee. Carey nodded, a devilish grin lighting up her face.

“Yeah, Mags. I think you don’t have it in ya.” Carey crossed her arms in front of her. The glint in his eye was so familiar to Lucretia that she ever so slightly moved her chair away from him. He was going to do it, and nothing would stop him until he emerged the victor. Lucretia smiled at the scene in front of her as he started spraying the cans contents into his wide open mouth. Like, really smiled. Not some proper smile where she quirked up one side of her mouth in light amusement, but the kind of smile where you could feel the smile throughout your entire being. The whole thing just sent memories of a time long forgotten into her mind and, for once, she welcomed it. It had been so long since she’d let herself go long enough to have this kind of friendly conversation where she didn’t have to filter through everything in her mind before saying it. She really felt her age. Wonderland had left her 20 years older and worn down to the point of breaking, but for the first time in a decade, Lucretia felt young and lifelike.

She turned to Magnus, about to say something about the time he finished a whole Candlenights turkey in one sitting then stopped, snapping her jaw closed. She’d been so distracted by having fun that she completely forgotten that he didn’t remember. He didn’t share the one hundred years of memories that they’d lost. She was about to talk to him as if they were still family— and to her, they always would be— and that couldn’t happen. She couldn’t let on that there was anything wrong or different. One tiny slip out of her more proper manner of speaking that she’d developed would definitely let on that something was different. That something had changed about her demeanor. Slightly panicked, she cleared her throat, interrupting the conversation Carey and Magnus had continued.

“I, um… I had a very nice time with the two of you.” Lucretia started to stand up, carefully picking up the porcelain mug in front of her. “But, I really should head back.” Magnus stood at the same time as her, swallowing the enormous mouthful of whipped cream.

“Hey, you’re always welcome to come sit and have coffee with with us!” Magnus beamed, obviously enjoying himself more than she’d previously thought. “Any time! We always meet up on Friday afternoons unless one of us is out on a mission. It’d be great to have you join us again.”

“Well thank you,” She gave him that small smile, the one that hid too many emotions from view. “It certainly was the highlight of my week. And I’ll absolutely consider your offer, I enjoyed doing this with you again.” She realized what she said and froze. “I mean, I’d enjoy doing this with you again.” Carey and Magnus nodded, not phased by her phrasing because to them, it was just a simple mistake. Lucretia gave them one more farewell smile, then left in a hurry, not stopping until she was back safe in her office. 

Slumping down into the chair facing away from the door to hide the tears welling up, just in case anyone were to walk into her office, she made eye contact with the portrait of herself that she kept above her desk. It was a constant reminder of what she’d done to her friends. Friends she’d betrayed and written out of the story she was weaving. It served as almost a sort of torture, keeping them all at a great distance. But this was the torture she felt she deserved. It kept her from trying to breach, from trying to ruin her plan of stopping the Hunger just to be able to talk and laugh with her family once more. Putting her head in her hands, Lucretia opened the floodgates and sobbed. Keeping them at an arm’s distance seemed to help her detach herself from the memories she shared with those she’d left behind. But this afternoon, getting to spend quality time with one of her best friends only to remember that he didn’t know her like she knew him… It was all too much to handle.

She sniffled, lifting up her head to the portrait above her desk once more. She lifted her hand slightly, lifting the illusion magic that kept others from seeing the truth beneath it. The faces of her family looked back at her, all smiling widely. In the moment, they didn’t know that they would endure 100 years of struggling. They didn’t know how much they would lose. The portrait of herself symbolized her loneliness, but it was better than seeing the faces of those she let down. 

There were so many things she wished she’d done differently. She wished they could have stayed all together, that nobody could have gone missing. She wished that they could have fixed the world and made sure The Hunger was gone for good. Most off all, she wished they remembered. It was the most selfish wish she had, but she desperately wished they would remember her and their time together. That way, even if she failed to defeat the Hunger, they would be together and they would know. But, in this case,  _ not  _ knowing was half the battle.


End file.
